Wash-rod-ring remover



Sept. 24, 1929.

F. C. SANDSTROM AL WASH ROD RING REMOVER Filed March 23, 1927 jwenzbrfi Fella; 4:5 E

Patented Sept. 24, 1929 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FELIX coNsTANTIN sANnsTRoM, OF MILWAUKEE, wIscoNsIN, A D HARRY o. ALEX- AND'ER, or CHICAGO, ILLINoIs, ASSIGNORS To INTERNATIONAL HARVESTER COMPANY, A CORPORATION on NEW JERSEY I WASH-ROD-RING BEMQVER Application filed March 23.1927. Serial No. 177,814.

This invention relates to a tool, known as awash rod ring remover, for use in removing certain parts of a cream separator to wash or cleanthe same.

In the cream separator art, it is common knowledge that the stack of disk rings employed in aiding centrifugal separation of milk must be removed and washed anddried after operation of the cream separator, so as to maintain a sanitary condition of such parts. Such stack of rings must be carefully replaced on the shaft which supports them in the rotatable separating bow1,so that they are brought in the same order and position as before removal, not only with respect to each other, but also with respect to the shaft of the bowl, so asnot to destroy their separating eifect, or the equilibrium of the balanced bowl. The object of the invention is to provide such a tool, which will be simple and cheap,

and which will effectively function to remove and replace these rings withoutdestroying their proper arrangement; another object being to provide a novel disk feature, which will make use of the tool of this invention possible and co-operate with the tool to hold the disks in assembled relation while removed from the separator.

Briefly, these very desirable objects are achieved in the provision of a tool comprising a rod of suitable length having at one end a handle and at the other end a threaded portion, that end of the rod adjacent the threaded portion being of greater thickness, or diameter, than the remaining portion thereof. The bottom-most ring of the cream separator bowl stack of rings is formed with a complementarily threaded socket, adapted to fit the threaded end of the tool. These disk rings are each in the usual form of a truncated cone and are arranged one on top of the other to form the stack. Each disk ring is provided with an eccentrically arranged hole, the rings when stacked being so arranged that these holes are all in vertical alinement with the threaded socket in the lowermost ring. It is thus possible to run the tool down thru all of the holes in a manner to permit its threaded lower end to engage the socket in the bottom disk ring. By turning the tool, the threads thereof and the threads of the socket interlock and, as a result, the entire stack of disk rings may be removed from the bowl. The thickened portion of the rod is of a length substantially equal to the height of the stack of disk rings, said portion being of substantially the same diameter as the eccentrically arranged hole in each ring, and accordingly, the rod with the stack of rings arranged at its lower end effectively holds these rings in their proper position with respect to each other and with respect to the member upon which they are mounted. The remaining portion of the rod, being of smaller diameter, comes into play during the washing operation to permit stringing out of the disk rings 1n spaced apart relationship to insure a thorough washing and drying of the said rings.

In the accompanying sheet of drawings illustrating the preferred form of the invention and one which it may assumein practice Figure 1 is a view showing the improved tool, per se; Figure 2 is a vertical, central sectional view thru a cream separator bowl and thru a stack of disk rings, showing the manner of use of said tool; and

Figure 3 is a vertical, central, sectional view thru the bottom-most disk ring formed with the complementary rod receiving socket portion. r

The improved wash rod, or disk ring removing tool, comprises a relatively long main rod portion 10, round in cross section, and a secondary portion 11 at one end, which lat ter portion is also round, but somewhat greater in diameter, as shown. The two portions are merged by a gradually sloped portion 12. The free end of the port-ion 11 has a short length of screw threads 13 formed thereon, while the free end of themain rod portion 10 carries in any approved'manner, a handle 14. See Figure 1.

This tool may be used with any standard type of cream separator having a rotatable bowl 15 (see Figure 2) carried by a vertical driving spindle 16. This bowl has arranged therein on said spindle the usual stack of disk rings 17, each disk being frusto-conical in shape and set on the spindle, one on top of the other in any conventional manner to form the stack. The lowermost ring indicated by 18 has formed therein a depressed portion19, wherein is placed a screw-threaded socket 20. (See Figure This socket is offset or eccentrically arranged with respect to the vertical axis of the ring 18. Each of the other disk rings is provided with an eccentrically arranged hole 21 all disposed in vertical alinement with said socket 20, as shown.

In use of the improved tool, the user grasps the handle 14 with his hand and runs the end 11 of the rod down thru the alined openings 21 in the nest of disk rings until the same contacts the socket 520 in the bottom ring, whereupon the rod is rotated to cause the threaded end13 thereof to interengage with the threads of the socket 20. The entire stack of rings may now be removed. The user then runs the rings onto the thinner portion 10 and strings them out in spaced relationship therealong, so that they may be efiiciently subjected to the successive washing and drying steps. The lower disk ring 18, being locked to the rod, acts as a stop to prevent accidental displacementof the stack of ringsfrom the tool, as will be obvious. When it is desired to return the disk rings to the bowl, they are run to thelower thickened end of the rod, the tapered portion 12 guiding each ring to such position. The properarrangelnent of the rings relative to each other has not been destroyed, and, accordingly, it is a simple matter to run the stack backinto position on the spindle 16, each ring having a large concentric hole for that purpose, as is usual. The rod is now rotated in a reverse direction to unscrew the same from the socket in the lowermost ring, and so the tool can be removed and the cream separator bowl is again ready for operation.

From the above detailed description of structure and use, it must now be clear that a simple wash rod ring removing tool has been provided, which achieves all of the objects heretofore recited.

It is the intention to cover all such changes and modifications of the invention as do not materially depart from the scope and spirit thereof, as indicated in the appended claims.

WVhat we claim is:

1. In a stack of nested disk rings with alined openings in the rings, a tool for carrying said stack of rings comprising a rod having a thickened end passed thru the alined openings, there being a socket in the lowermost ring, and interlocking means at the end of said thickened portion and in said socket.

2. In a stack of nested disk rings with alined openings in the rings, a tool for carrying said stack of rings comprising a rod passed thru the alined openings, there being locking means in the lowermost ring, means for locking the lower end of the rod with said means upon a turning movement of the rod, and a handle for turning the. rod.

3. In a stack of nested disk rings with alined openings in the rings, a tool for carrying said stack of rings, said tool comprising a round rod having a thickened portion at one end adapted to be passed thru the alined openings in the stack of nested'diskrings, a handle at the other end of the rod, there being a threaded socket in the lowermost disk ring, and a threaded end on the thickened rod portion engagin said threaded socket.

4. A tool for the purpose described, comprising a rod having a handle at one end, said rod adapted to have its other end passed thru alined apertures in a. stack of nested disk rings, and there being a. threaded part at the end of said rod, said threaded part adapted to fit a complementary socket in the lowermost ring of the stack, whereby the entire stack may be lifted. V

5. A tool for the purpose described, comprising a round rod having a handle at one end, there being a thickened portion at the other end of the rod merging with the main part of the rod by means of a gradually sloped portion, said thickened part adapted to be passed thru alined apertures in a stack of nested disk rings, and means on the rod for interlocking the same with the lowermost ring to lift the entire stack.

6. A tool for the purpose described, comprising a rod adapted to be passed thru alined apertures in a stack of nested disk rings, means for turning the rod, and means for causing said rod positively to interlock with the lower most ring in the stack upon such turning movement.

In testimony whereof we afiix our signatures.

FELIX CONSTANTIN SANDSTROM. HARRY O. ALEXANDER. 

